1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a tooth shade guide device and packaging combination wherein the guide device and package are frangibly attached to one another.
2. The Related Art
Shade guide devices for self and professional assessment of the color of teeth are well known in the art. Some shade guides are designed to be used by manufacturers of false teeth where the desired tooth color is measured and then recorded to match the false tooth with neighbouring natural teeth. An example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,678 (Jeanette) which describes a dental shade holder and individual shade guides which individually represent different shades. To obtain a comparison between a natural tooth and an artificial tooth a dental practitioner selects which guide corresponds more closely to the color of the natural tooth and then identifies a false tooth accordingly. The differently colored shade guides are arranged along a single side of the holder and may be arranged in any specific order of color.
Another shade guide device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,617 (Antons) which describes a similar holder with a plurality of shade guides attached along one side of said holder. The individual shade guides are attached to the holder by way of a finger which is perforated. This allows for removal of the guide to allow for improved comparison with the natural tooth.
Shade guide devices comprising a more basic lay out are also known in the art and are included in several tooth-whitening products to allow the user to self assess the colour of his teeth.
Such devices usually consist of a handle on which is displayed varying shades of white, usually ranging from perfect white to a dark cream colour. The guides are included in the packaged product and have to be manufactured separately from the remainder of the package and included when the contents of the product are packaged together before shipping.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a tooth shade guide device and package combination, characterised in that the guide device and the package are frangibly attached to one another.
By package is meant the outer packaging of a product, for example, the outer cardboard packaging which is usually discarded soon after purchase.
It is an essential feature of the invention that the package is frangibly attached to the shade guide. In this way the guide can be removed from the packaging and used to assess the shade of the teeth later.
The guide is preferably attached by way of a perforated link thus allowing the guide and package to be manufactured in one piece but it is conceivable for the two to be attached after manufacture through the use of an adhesive.
According to a further aspect the invention provides a blank capable of being formed into a package suitable for use as a toothpaste package and additionally comprising a shade guide frangibly attached thereto.